Category: Film and TV Locations

1. The Magic of Staying in an Oxford College

   Posted on 9:00am Wednesday 2nd Mar 2016

    

   Oxford, with its world famous university, is only about 50 miles/ 80km from London and is easily doable as a day trip. During the vacation period many colleges rent out their rooms to the public, it's a great opportunity to stay somewhere very unique and historic, so I booked a two night stay at Christ Church, Oxford's largest college. To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect but it exceeded my expectations and I loved every minute of my stay there. 

2. Following in the Footsteps of Vincent Price on the Witchfinder General Tour

   Posted on 7:00am Tuesday 8th Dec 2015

   

   Lavenham Guildhall

   Lavenham, in Suffolk, is one of Britain's finest medieval villages. With its magnificent timber framed Guildhall and pretty cottages it is the quintessential, picture postcard town. However in 1968, its picturesque Market Place became the film location of one of the most horrific scenes in Vincent Price's Witchfinder General. Last month I was thrilled to attend the Witchfinder General Location Tour with the Vincent Price London Legacy Tour 2015 and Victoria Price, Vincent's daughter.

3. Scones of the Month - July 2015

   Posted on 5:00pm Monday 3rd Aug 2015

   

   The Goring

   This month I’m delighted to say that I’ve managed to partake of afternoon tea at The Goring and Oakley Court, two hotels which have been on my to do list tea list for absolutely ages, plus enjoyed scones for breakfast at Caravan.

4. My Blog Post about Stanfords Horse Drawn Omnibus has been re-blogged on Stanfords blog

   Posted on 7:30am Friday 31st Jul 2015

   Utterly delighted that Stanfords, reputedly the world's biggest travel and map bookshop, liked my blog post about our ride on their horse drawn omnibus tour and have re-blogged it on Stanfords blog.

   This is a huge honour for me as I love Stanfords, I can spend hours in their shop absorbed in their books and I also feature them on my Covent Garden and its Hidden Corners walking tour, as it's where Sherlock Holmes goes for his map in Hounds of the Baskervilles.

   The author of this blog is a qualified City of London and City of Westminster Tour Guide who leads guided walks combining world famous landmarks with hidden treasures often missed by the crowds. 

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5. London Sightseeing Tour on Stanfords Victorian Horse Drawn Omnibus

   Posted on 7:30am Wednesday 29th Jul 2015

   

   Left to right:  Basil, Bob and Harney with Tim Wood

   I love exploring London and when I heard that Stanfords, reputedly the world's biggest travel and map bookshop, have just launched a London sightseeing tour by horse drawn Victorian omnibus I just had to check it out. So last night joined by Julie and Carolyn, friends and fellow guides, we were taken for an utterly delightful ride by Basil, Bob and Harney, three magnificent Dutch Warmbloods.

6. Behind the Scenes Tour of Alexandra Palace

   Posted on 9:00am Sunday 26th Apr 2015

   

   The Theatre

   Recently I was lucky enough to attend one of the rare behind the scenes history tours of Alexandra Palace. Named after Alexandra, Edward VII's wife, and affectionally known as Ally Pally.  The original building sadly burnt down just sixteen days after it opened.

7. The Distribution of Hot Cross Buns in a Churchyard

   Posted on 9:30pm Friday 3rd Apr 2015

   

   On Good Friday hot cross buns are distributed in the churchyard of St Bartholomew the Great. The ceremony known as the Butterworth Charity, was named after Joshua Whitehead Butterworth who created the trust in 1887. It was set up to provide the sum of six pence to twenty one needy widows in the parish and buns were to be handed out to children who attended the distribution. With the understanding that nowadays anyone who attends can have a hot cross bun I went to investigate further.  

8. Two Temple Place - William Waldorf Astor's Riverside Mansion

   Posted on 9:00am Sunday 29th Mar 2015

   

   Two Temple Place was built for William Waldorf Astor, one of the richest men in the world, and today it is owned by the Bulldog Trust charity. Since 2012 it has opened its doors for a free annual exhibition. With this also comes the wonderful opportunity to visit one of the most splendid buildings in London, a magnificent Victorian house.

9. Cinderella The Exhibition - We Can All Go to the Ball

   Posted on 5:00pm Wednesday 25th Mar 2015

   

   Cinderella the live action film opens in cinemas on 27 March 2015 and to celebrate the occasion the official and free Cinderella The Exhibition has opened in Leicester Square, featuring over 100 props and 30 costumes designed by the Academy Award-winning costume designer Sandy Powell. Tickets can be booked online at no cost. The exhibition is presented by Swarovski and is only on until Friday 10 April 2015.

10. The Mysterious Affair at Harrogate - Agatha Christie's Disappearance

    Posted on 11:00am Sunday 22nd Mar 2015

    

    Old Swan Hotel - Harrogate

    Earlier this month I fulfilled my long standing wish to stay at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate which has  connections with the  mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime.

    On the evening of 3^rd December 1926 Agatha left her home in Sunningdale and her 4 seater Morris Cowley car was later found abandoned at Newlands Corner in Surrey. By this time Agatha was aged 36 years old and was already a successful crime writer and her 6th novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd had just been published. Her sudden disappearance attracted both national and worldwide interest. The search for Agatha was the largest manhunt of the time, involving over 1,000 police officers and civilians, and reputedly the first search in England to use airplanes. Arthur Conan Doyle (author of Sherlock Holmes) gave a medium one of her gloves in the hope of locating her, however Agatha's whereabouts remained a mystery for several days.